Lucy Weasley and The Foreign Students
by Ash868
Summary: It's Lucy Weasley's first year. It is the time to learn magic and make new friends, including ones from another country. However, some of the students don't like their guests. What happens when things start to get out of hand and enemies are made?
1. Sorting

Lucy Weasley stared around the platform, her heart was beating very quickly, and her palms were sweaty. It was the first day of school, and she felt very nervous. Unlike her older sister Molly, who had looked forward to her first year at Hogwarts, Lucy had dreaded it. She didn't want to leave her family for so long.

At the moment, her parents were putting her luggage on the train. She was left alone with Molly, who had a prefects badge on her chest. The older girl was smiling smugly at the Gryffindors who walked past with parents. It had been a dreadful summer for Lucy because of her older sister. She had been told several times by the girl that she would be watched over closely.

"Well," Percy Weasley said as he stepped off the train and rubbed his hands together. "This is it, Lucy, I know you'll make me proud."

Lucy just nodded. She knew what was expected of her. She would be sorted in Gryffindor house, just like her older sister and her parents. She also knew her father expected her to be prefect when she started her fifth year. This all made her very nervous, though she would never admit it. She glanced at her mother who was whispering in Molly's ear.

"Please take care of your little sister," Lucy heard her say.

This made her feel angry, but she didn't change her expression to show that she was upset. Instead, she allowed her parents to hug her good-bye. Molly then took her hand and led her onto the train.

"Of course I don't want you sitting with me. I have to go to the prefects carriage first, because I am a prefect, and then I am going to sit with my friends. I will come to you later to see if you are all right," Molly was saying.

"That's fine," Lucy muttered, inwardly she was thinking that she didn't want to sit with her sister anyway.

Molly took her into an empty compartment where her trunk was and bid her goodbye. Relieved, Lucy sat back and stared out the window. She could see her parents on the platform, but they were talking to some of her aunts and uncles. She could see many of her younger cousins running around. Lucy sighed.

She came from a large family of cousins, who were all very close, and most were the same age. Unfortunately for her, she didn't have a cousin starting at Hogwarts with her, so she would be starting her first year all alone. Molly had started with two of their cousins, but neither cousin wanted anything to do with Molly because she was arrogant and smug. In fact, many of the Weasley children felt the same way.

Figuring it was going to be a long train ride, Lucy stood up onto the seat to open her trunk. She had packed a book to read, so she rummaged through her trunk until she found it. She found a comfortable position to sit, and began to read. She wasn't through the first page when the compartment door opened, and two people stepped in. Lucy looked up from the book to see a boy and girl, both had brown hair, and brown eyes. They were tall, so she didn't think they were first years.

"Hullo," the girl said. "Mind if we sit here?"

Lucy shrugged and waved her arm at the seats across from her to show that it was empty.

"Thank you," the boy said.

Lucy watched as they put their trunks in the luggage rack, and then they sat down across from her. The two had similar features, so she wondered if they were twins.

"Ooh, you like "The Little Witch Series" too?" The girl asked as she pointed at Lucy's book. "I adore them. I'm on book number sixteen."

"Really?" Lucy asked interested.

The Little Witches Series was a popular fictional book in the wizarding world for witches. It had forty-nine different books , and was all about a pair of witches who solved mysteries. Lucy was on book forty-eight. She was looking forward to book fifty, which would be coming out after Christmas. Apparently there would be a huge secret revealed.

"Oh yes," the girl said. "My name is Sally by the way, and this is my twin brother Philip. Are you starting the first year also?"

Lucy nodded. She was surprised that the two were starting their first year. They looked as if they were in the third year.

"I absolutely adore red hair," Sally said as she looked at Lucy's hair, which was in pigtails courtesy of her mother. Audrey Weasley insisted on treating her youngest daughter as if she were five, instead of eleven. She didn't want to accept the fact that her children were growing up, in fact Lucy recently overheard an argument between her parents about whether or not they should have another child.

"You must be a Weasley," Philip said. "I heard all the Weasley children have red hair. Our father went to school with your Uncle Harry. He says the Weasley's are like rabbits."

Lucy had heard people say that as well, and it annoyed her.

"I have many cousins yes," she said. "I like having a large family. What is your last name?"

"Smith," Sally answered. "And I am sorry about my brother, he has a big mouth. I wish we had a big family but we don't. We don't have any other brothers and sisters. Do you have many siblings?"

Lucy shook her head and explained that Molly was her only sister. The train had started to move shortly after the twins had sat down. Lucy glanced out the window and watched as the country-side flew by. She soon found herself explaining her entire family to the Smith's who started to ask her questions. They mainly asked her about her Uncle Harry and his kids.

At times it could be hard coming from a famous family. The wizarding world knew a lot about her family, and there were times when their pictures had been taken in Diagon Alley by the nosy press. It had happened that summer when her parents had taken her out shopping for her school supplies. The next day, her picture had been on the second page of the Daily Prophet, underneath the caption had read: _The next Weasley to start at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. What can we expect from her? _

There were many people like Philip Smith who talked about how the Weasley's and their many offspring.

"So, what about _your_ family?" Lucy finally asked after an hour of talking.

They didn't arrive at Hogwarts until later that evening. It had grown dark outside, and the lanterns in the train were lit. The twins and Lucy had changed into their school robes long ago. By then, she had relaxed around the two. The three had spent the majority of the train ride playing exploding snap.

As they neared the Hogsmeade station, Lucy and Sally had started a conversation about The Little Witches series, which was boring Philip. The boy was currently looking through different chocolate frog cards. As the train slowed down, Molly peaked her into the compartment. She hadn't shown up for the entire ride, which was surprising.

"Oh good, you've made some friends," she said and then she glanced at the twins as Lucy's face went warm. "My sister Lucy is very shy, so sometimes I have to help her make friends. I do hope you'll stick around her. She needs friends. She is too much of a bookworm."

Lucy wanted to sink through the seat. She had filled the twins in on Molly, but that didn't stop her from feeling embarrassed.

"I am a bookworm as well," Sally said. "I think we'll get along just fine."

"It's true, she is," Philip said as he rolled his eyes. "I'm glad she has met a fellow nerd."

Sally smacked him. Molly just shrugged, and then told them that it was time to get off the train because it had stopped, but to leave their luggage. _We know _Lucy thought to herself, for a voice had told them that about five minutes earlier. However, she didn't say anything. She followed her older sister out of the compartment and off of the train.

The older students were walking towards some horseless carriages, Lucy thought she spotted some of her older cousins among them. Meanwhile, a familiar voice was calling out:

"Firs' years this way! Firs years!"

Rubeus Hagrid, or Hagrid as he preferred people to call him, was an old family friend. He also worked at Hogwarts. He would be leading the first years to the castle. There was already a small group of first years crowding around him, though some seemed to hang back a bit. Lucy figured it was because of his size. He could seem scary because he was the twice the size of a normal person, but he was actually quite harmless.

Lucy and the twins approached him, the twins seemed nervous but Lucy assured them.

"I've known him for years, he is half-giant, that's why he is so big."

"We've heard of him," Philip said. "Our father said that he is also a big drunken oaf! Half giant! Giants are supposed to be really mean... and our father said he isn't very bright. The only reason he has the Care of Magical Creatures job was because Dumbledore felt sorry for him. I don't understand why he hasn't been canned yet. Our father said a Slytherin boy was attacked in one of his classes when he was in school."

Lucy was angry, usually she kept silent but she was about to retort when Hagrid asked if all the first years were there. She liked Sally an awful lot, but she wasn't sure if she would like Philip. She hoped that whatever house he was in, she wouldn't be there. He wasn't a very nice boy, and as Sally had rightly put it earlier, he didn't know how to keep his mouth shut.

The first years followed Hagrid down a steep path until they were led to an opening at the lake. Across the lake was the large castle with every window lit up. Everyone let out an excited gasp, including Lucy. It looked so magnificent across the lake, sitting on a high mountain. The lights reflected in the water.

There were many boats sitting in the water. Four people could fit in a boat, while Hagrid took up a boat by himself. Lucy and the twins joined an overweight girl in one of the boats. The girl gave them a shy smile and then gasped as the boats all lurched forward, and began to speed across the lake. There was nothing directing the boats, so it must have been magic that helped them along.

Several people were looking in the water for the famous giant squid. Many wizarding children had grown up hearing about it from their parents. Her father had told her to stay away from the lake because she couldn't swim very well, but it didn't stop her from leaning over the edge a little like many of the other students.

When they arrived on the other side of the lake, they followed Hagrid up a steep bank. When they arrived at the castle, he led them up stone steps, right up to an oak door, which he knocked on. The door was opened by a very ancient, but tiny wizard, who Lucy knew to be Professor Flitwick. She thought he might have been part elf because of his size. She had known him for years because of her family. Many people were surprised that he was still a teacher. Every year he claimed it was his last, but he always came back. Many people wondered if he would end up like Professor Binns, the History of Magic teacher. He had died in his sleep, but continued to teach at the school as a ghost.

"Welcome first years!" He squeaked and then smiled up at Hagrid. "Thank you for bringing them, Hagrid. Follow me, children."

They were led into a spacious Entrance Hall. Lucy thought her entire house could fit into it. It was lit by many flickering torches which gave it kind of a gloomy look. She saw the hour house hour glasses on the wall. She knew that soon she would be watching the red hour glass beat the rest of the houses. _What if I am not though? _She wondered and felt a shiver go down her spine as her eyes rested on the green hour glass representing Slytherin.

A year ago, her cousin Albus had worried about going in Slytherin because his older brother, James had told him he probably would be. It had been an ongoing argument for most of the summer. Everyone had reassured them that it would be all right if he did end of in Slytherin, but in the end Albus became a Gryffindor. Lucy hadn't thought much about it until that moment. She knew there wasn't anything wrong with Slytherin, some of the friends of the family were from that house. However, she didn't think her father would be okay with it And she didn't even want to think of how Molly would react.

The first years were led past a door where many voices came from. Lucy assumed that was where the Great Hall was. She felt shaky as she thought about how she would have to stand up in front of all those people. She just hoped that her cousins wouldn't make a scene. They were known for doing that...

Professor Flitwick took them all into a little chamber where he explained to them the four different houses at Hogwarts, and the sorting before he disappeared through a door. Lucy was still standing with the twins, who looked nervous. She glanced around the room at the many students. Some were whispering together, while other people looked around nervously.

She noticed one boy who was slouched against the wall. He had an indifferent look on his face, as if he were bored. He had black hair, and as he noticed her looking at him, she noticed he had dark brown eyes as well. He raised his eye brows as if to say _what are you staring at? _Embarrassed, she looked away. Her eyes rested on the girl who had shared the boat with her and the twins. She was very pale, and looked as if she would throw up.

Moments later, Professor Flitwick returned and told the first years to line up. Lucy got behind Sally. Once they were all lined up, they walked out the door that the teacher had came through, and into the Great Hall.

The room was very large, and had five different tables. The teachers table was at the front of the Hall, and faced the students. The four house tables were in four horizontal lines. Hundreds of students sat at them, in front of each student were golden plates and goblets. At the end of each tables there was a space, which Lucy assumed was for the sorted first years.

The Hall was lit by thousands of floating candles. Lucy glanced up at them and saw the ceiling her parents and cousins had described. It was bewitched to look like the sky. At the moment it was a cloudless night, so one could see many stars. As she stared she noticed a shooting star. She knew people wished on them at times. _I hope I will succeed at Hogwarts without Molly interfering. _

They were made to line up in front of the teachers table, and behind a stool where a very old, and slightly burnt hat stood. Lucy already knew that it was going to be a hat that sorted them. Her parents had told her so she wouldn't be nervous. Her cousins, Fred and James had told her that she would have to fight a manticore. She hadn't believed them, but she had still asked her parents how they really would be sorted.

Everyone in the Great Hall had their eyes on the sorting hat, waiting for it to sing. Lucy glanced over at the table which had a red and gold hanging over with it, with a picture of a lion. She spotted many of her red haired cousins sitting at the table, all of their eyes were on her. She smiled at them, before she looked back at the hat, which began to sing.

Long long ago in centuries past,

The Hogwarts four did meet.

They thought to build a school at last

That taught of magical feats.

Each had a house formed in his name

That valued different traits.

The founders sorted the children that came,

And left the rest up to fate.

Gryffindor favored the gallant,

While Hufflepuff preferred the kind.

Ravenclaw wanted the talented.

Slytherin chose those cunning of mind.

When at last they thought their work was done,

One question still remained:

Who would choose the worthy ones

When they had passed away?

Godric Gryffindor then had a thought

That his hat could do the dividing.

And that's when I was magically taught

To do all the sorting and deciding.

So now please don't hesitate

To place me on your head.

I'll tell you where you will make

All of your best friends.

Hufflepuff or Gryffindor,

Ravenclaw or Slytherin,

I know that you'll adore

Whatever house I put you in!

When the hat was done singing, Professor Flitwick stepped forward, and said:

"When I call your name, you will sit on the stool and put on the hat. When the hat calls out your house, you will sit at your new house table. Artin, Timothy."

A short boy ran forward, from the line, he pulled the hat off the stool, climbed onto the stool, and then place the hat on his head. It seemed to take a minute before it called out: "RAVENCLAW!"

A table in the middle erupted into applause. Timonthy hopped of the stool, handed the hat to Professor Flitwick and then ran over to the Ravenclaw table. Lucy wished she had a last name in the beginning of the alphabet instead of the end.

The boy with black hair was called after a while. His name was Matthew Kent. There was something about him that seemed unpleasant. She figured for sure that this boy would be a Slytherin, but to her surprise, he was put into Hufflepuff house instead.

A little while after that, Philip was called up. The hat wasn't on his head long before it put him into Hufflepuff, and then Sally followed him there. The overweight girl was also sorted there. Finally Professor Flitwick called:

"Weasley Lucy!"

A cheer erupted from the Gyrffindor table. Lucy couldn't help but grin a little, she knew it was her family. Once the hat was on head, it seemed to silence the cheers.

"Ah, another Weasley to sort. I believe there will be many more of you for me. For now, lets see where you are going to go. You seem to be a lot different from your family, and I think you would do well in Gryffindor. However, I can see what you want the most is to make friends and to be separated from your older sister."

Lucy was shocked that the hat knew how much she didn't want to be with Molly.

"Oh yes, I can see it all here. So I think you would be better in HUFFLEPUFF!"

Lucy felt a little relief as she pulled the hat off of her head. However, as soon as she did, she could hear everyone in the Great Hall again. The Hufflepuff house was cheering, but there was booing coming from the Gryffindor table.

"Re-sort! Re-sort!" Lucy recognized the voice to be James Potter's.

_So it isn't a big deal if I don't end up in Gryffindor? _Lucy thought sarcastically. She glanced over at the Gryffindor table where the cousins were outraged. She sought out Molly, who was staring with a look of shock on her face. She hadn't joined in out the cries of outrage. Their eyes met, and Lucy gave her a small smile. Her older sister gave a small nod, for a moment they understood each other, and then she took control of her house.

"Sit down, the sorting isn't over yet. I'm a prefect!"

Lucy grinned and then hurried to sit down at the Hufflepuff table beside Sally. She could hear Fred shouting at Molly.

"No Weasley has ever gone to any house but Gryffindor! She can't go to Hufflepuff!"

After the cousins had quieted down, the sorting resumed. Only a few more people remained, the last person was sorted into Slytherin house. After everyone was seated, Professor Flitwick carried the stool and hat away. The Headmistress stood up and smiled at everyone. She had only been at Hogwarts for a few years, having taken over after Professor McGonagall had retired.

She was an older lady, maybe in her fifties with blond hair that was slowly greying, from what Lucy had heard she was friendly but strict. Her name was Professor Selwyn Redford. She had spent the last few years trying to get the four houses to mingle with each other more than they did. When she had been at Hogwarts, she had been a Slytherin, and had been judged by the other three houses because of that. She had been cunning and ambitious, but she hadn't cared about blood purity at all. After the war, which she had apparently helped fight in, she hoped the houses would unite, but they hadn't.

From what Lucy heard, it wasn't as bad as when her parents had been in school, but it needed improvement. So Professor Redford had made it her duty to help it along better.

"Welcome First years, welcome back everyone else. Now that everyone is sorted and where they belong-" and she glanced over at the Gryffindor table sternly before she continued, "I would like to make an announcement before we enjoy the feast. For the past few years, the Ministry of Education, the school governors and I have been discussing inviting foreign students from other schools here, or for Hogwarts students to attend other schools for a year.

"Years ago, when many of your parents attended Hogwarts in fact, we hosted The Tri-Wizard Tournament. The students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons were accepted and some people even made friends. So after years of discussion, we have decided to invite students to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year. If it is successful, and I do hope it is, we plan to send students from Hogwarts to an international school in a few years time. After a long discussion, we have decided to invite students from a Canadian school here.

"Since they are from the other side of the globe, they will not be arriving until the end of the month. Three students from each year will be chosen to come visit. Now their school system is a lot different from ours, which you will learn over the course of the next month, and of course once they arrive.

Now, that being said, now is the time for Hogwarts news. Hogsmeade trips-"

Lucy stopped listening. Her family had hinted that there would be something going on at Hogwarts that year. She had kind of wondered if it would be the Twi-Wizard tournament again. She'd overheard her father mentioning foreign students. She had heard of Canada, but she wasn't sure where it was exactly.

Food suddenly appeared on the table in front of her. Professor Redford had finished her announcement. Around her people were starting a discussion about the Canadians coming to the school.

"Canadians at our school? What are they playing at?" An older boy was complaining.

"I think it will be interesting," Sally said. "I wouldn't mind meeting people from another country. I'm surprised first years are coming though. I thought it would be people of age."

"Canadian's don't even speak English, they speak French! They won't fit in here!" Philip said.

"They speak English," the shy overweight girl said and she blushed. "They speak french and English."

"What is their school like? Isn't it really cold there?" A girl with long blond hair asked.

"In some places it is," An asian girl answered. "My family visited there once. It's a nice country, but I am surprised they invited a country which is so far away from here. My parents knew that we would have foreign students here, but I thought it would be Beauxbatons or Durmstrang again."

"I knew it too," a tiny boy with a squeaky voice spoke up, "but I heard Egyptian students were coming! I am Trevor by the way, Trevor Creevey!"

Around them, the first years started to introduce themselves, all but Matthew. He hadn't even joined in on the conversation about the Canadians. He kept his eyes on the table while he ate.

"Do you think they will be sorted?" Lucy asked. "Where will they sleep?"

"Probably not but they'll probably have their own place to sleep," Philip said. "My father told me that Durmstrang slept in a ship," he then smirked at Lucy. "So that was quite the commotion your family put on. I guess it isn't acceptable for a Weasley not to be anywhere but Gryffindor. I thought your entire family went there. What happened?"

Now everyone's eyes were on her. Lucy blushed. She had hoped that no one would bring up her family outrage, but of course it had to be Philip who she was slowly developing a dislike for. She glared at him.

"The sorting hat thought I belonged here," she answered. "My cousins will get over it."

Matthew looked up from his plate and stared at her.

"If not, I'm sure if you really wanted to be Gryffindor it could happen. You have connections to Harry Potter after all. The Weasley's always seem to be granted favours just because of him. Who is your father anyway? You can't be Bill and Fleur Weasley's daughter, you don't have veela blood... that's definitely for sure."

How much more of this was she going to have to deal with? She was sick of people like Philip or Matthew. And she wasn't sure what the lastremark was supposed to mean. She wasn't as beautiful as her part Veela cousin's, but she knew she wasn't ugly.

"I like being a Hufflepuff, and even if I didn't, it wouldn't matter. I would still be here because the sorting hat's decision is final. Nobody in my family, not even my Uncle Harry could do anything about it. Not that he would anyway. And Not that it's any of your business, but my father is Percy Weasley."

"Ah, the one who walked out on his family," Matthew said. "I'm surprised you're Hufflepuff then. This house is supposed to be for loyal people."

Lucy gritted her teeth together. She wished she had been put into Gryffindor house. She had two people now who she disliked. She'd rather be with Molly instead of the two boys who were rude and judgemental.

"My father made a mistake that he was sorry for, and I'm surprised to see you're a Hufflepuff. You seem to be a judgemental jerk!" Lucy snapped. "Now leave me alone, and stop saying things about my family. You don't know any of us! Stop judging me before you know me!"

She was surprised at herself. Often when she was provoked enough, she would speak her mind but not around strangers. The first years, and many of the older students were staring. Lucy bit into a piece of chicken and chewed savagely.

"Well Lucy," Matthew said unperturbed by her outburst. "We have seven years to get to know each other, now don't we?" and with a wink he began to eat again.

When the feast was over an older girl began to call for the first years. Lucy joined her fellow Hufflepuffs as they walked over to the girl, and a boy who was standing next to her.

"Follow me," she told them. "I am going to take you to our Common Room. This will be the most direct path from the Great Hall. Of course there are other ways to do, but I'd advise you to take this way until you are comfortable around the castle. It is very easy to get lost here."

They were led past the older students to the main doors of the Great Hall. Molly was waiting by the doors with a group of first years. As they passed by, she touched Lucy's shoulder.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow. Let me know if any of our cousins give you a hard time," she said.

Lucy nodded and followed the Hufflepuffs out of the Great Hall.

A/N: More of a summary on my profile page. If you are interested in how old the New Generation is in this story, I have a list on my profile as well. It takes place a year after Albus goes to school though. This is the first of the Lucy Weasley series.


	2. First Week

The Hufflepuff Common Room was a lot different from the Gryffindor one. Though Lucy hadn't actually seen it, she had seen pictures from her cousins, aunt and uncles. She had also heard many stories about it. The Common Room looked like someone's comfortable cellar. Many chairs, couches and tables cluttered the large square room. On the walls there were yellow and black hangings with a picture of a badger on them. There was a statue of a plump woman with a smile on her face, she was holding a goblet in her hand. The prefect had told the first years that she was Helga Hufflepuff.

Instead of stairs leading to the dormitories, there were underground tunnels that were behind barrel top doors. There was one barrel top door each for the girls and boys. In the girls (and Lucy assumed it was the same for the boys) there was one large tunnel that led steeply downwards. At the bottom of the tunnel, it broke off into seven smaller tunnels. Above each tunnel it indicated what year it was for. The first years dormitories were in the middle.

At the end of the tunnel was another barrel top door. Inside was a round room where seven beds were, for there were five other girls besides Sally and Lucy in Hufflepuff house. The beds were four poster beds with black hangings and yellow bedspreads. There was a bathroom that led off from their dormitory which had several shower stalls, sinks, and bathroom stalls. There was also a smaller room off the bathroom which had a bathtub in case someone wanted to take a bath. There were also a few vanity mirrors for if anyone wanted to put on makeup, or to do their hair.

Lucy thought everything about the Hufflepuff Common Room seemed cozy, and she loved the underground tunnels. It was behind a picture of fruits and vegetables, but it did not require a password. Instead, the fruit had to be touched in a certain order. It was changed every month. If a person got it wrong, they would have to wait for another person to do it, because the painting would remember a persons touch.

At the moment, the way to get into the Common Room was to touch the apple twice, a banana once, a carrot three times, and a celery twice. On the first day, Lucy managed to go in the wrong order, and had to get Sally to open the door for her instead.

From the very first day, Lucy and Sally became fast friends. Though they did talk to Philip often, and the boy sat with them in the evenings to do homework, and unfortunately for the girls, he had befriended Matthew. This irritated Lucy, but she wasn't too surprised, both boys were annoying jerks, so it explained why they bonded well.

Lucy tried to get Madison, the large girl to hang out with her, but she was shy, and mostly kept to herself. She had a feeling that Philip and Matthew had made fun of her for her weight, and assumed that was the reason for why Madison stayed away. The other four girls had formed a friendship, and didn't seem to want to include anyone else in it.

Trevor Creevey was another annoying one, but it was more because of his questions than anything. He had an older sister in Ravenclaw house, but according to Trevor, they didn't get along. He bothered Lucy with questions about her family and her Uncle Harry. According to him, his Uncle Colin (who had died during the Battle of Hogwarts) had been one of Harry's best friends. His father had lost touch with her uncle years ago. So Trevor wanted to know all he could about him. It was the only time that Matthew was good to have around, because he got tired of the endless questions as well, he usually found the right kind of insult to drive the boy away.

The classes at Hogwarts were a lot more complicated than Lucy thought they would be. Molly had made it all seem so easy, and her parents had made magic seem so easy. It was a lot more than just waving her wand around and saying the incantation. There was a lot of concentration involved, and some spells required a certain movement of the wand and wrist.

She found that Transfiguration was one of the hardest classes for her. The transfiguration teacher Professor Déplacer was a young woman, in her early thirties. She seemed to want to follow in Minerva McGonagall's footsteps. She had the students start by transfiguring a match into a pin, just as Lucy had heard her parents had done. However, once students could do it, she let them compete against each other for who could do it the fastest.

Sally and Matthew managed to do it, while Lucy still struggled and Philip made his fly across the classroom. When he did finally did do it, it was only half match, and half pin. Lucy pointed out that it was better than her attempts, and he snapped at her to be quiet. Which annoyed her because she was trying to be his friend for Sally's sake, but he made it hard. Matthew, who could be sullen and moody at times was better than Philip.

Charms was one of her best classes. Professor Flitwick was their charms teacher. He was teaching them how to light their wands at the tip which was something that she got right away. It gave her satisfaction to see that Philip struggled with it. The boy had been smug about his abilities when they were on the train, so it was nice to see him have a hard time.

Potions, Herbology, and Astronomy were classes she thought she did average in, at least that's what she thought after the first week. Their first potion had been a simple one to cure boils. Her potion hadn't been perfect, but Professor Slughorn told her that it could be used. The other two classes had seemed simple enough to her, they were just plants and stars. (Though later she would find out it was more than that.)

She had a problem with History of Magic because it was so boring. So far in the classes she'd had with Professor Binns she had spent the lesson passing notes back and forth with Sally. Sally thought her brother was a git, and wasn't too fond of Matthew so a lot of the time they passed notes back and forth about the two boys.

Defense Against the Dark Arts proved to be difficult. The teacher, Professor Fraymen wanted to teach them how to duel. On their very first class, he told them that the first term would be consisted of learning first year hexes. He wanted them to be able to fight and defend each other at a first year level by Christmas. In the next term they would be learning about dark creatures and the final term would cover what they had learned the first two terms.

Professor Fraymen was somewhat of a legend at Hogwarts. He had started the school year after the Battle of Hogwarts and had lasted since. Most of the students could only say good things about him. Most people enjoyed his classes. The first class they had spent taking notes about duelling, and the next class they had been taught how to disarm each other. Lucy hadn't been able to do so.

Overall, she found that her first week at Hogwarts went by all right. Though she had tried to avoid her cousins as much as she could. They were still angry that a Weasley was in Hufflepuff. It wasn't until Saturday morning that an owl came to her with a message from Molly.

_Meeting in classroom ten. It's an unused classroom. Come alone at lunch._

"Does your family always have family meetings?"

Lucy scowled and turned to see that Matthew had been reading over her shoulder. She had come to accept that he was now a 'friend' of hers since they had hung out everyday during the week, but it didn't stop her from feeling angry that he read her mail.

"No," she snapped and then crumpled up the letter. "Do you always read over peoples shoulders?"

"When the letter is right in front of me I do," he answered and then stuffed a spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

She wondered what happened to the quiet boy who ignored everyone on the first day of school. He was still often quiet around other people, especially around people who weren't Hufflepuff, but around them, he talked and teased a lot.

"So have your parents wrote a letter demanding you be re-sorted in Gryffindor?" He asked after a few moments of silence.

"My parents haven't written to me yet, but I'm sure they are fine with it," Lucy answered. "Now isn't there anyone else you can bother?"

"Last I saw Trevor Creevey was following your cousin Albus around, and he is the only one I feel the need to bug. The twins are still asleep, and the other boys in my house are idiots... so you're the only person I can bother."

Lucy sighed. It wasn't going to be easy to shake him. Sally liked to sleep in late, she didn't plan to get up until at least noon, and apparently Philip was the same way. She had never had the chance to sleep in. Her father had always made sure that she and Molly had risen at seven everyday. Now she was used to it, sleeping in for her was getting up at nine. Unfortunately, Matthew was an early riser as well.

"So lets explore the castle after breakfast," Matthew said. "That prefect told us there are other ways to our Common Room, lets look for them until you have your family meeting."

Lucy didn't answer, she just grabbed a piece of toast and bit into it. There was an abandoned Daily Prophet laying on the table, so she reached for it to look through it. There wasn't really anything that interested her in it though, so it didn't keep her distracted for long. Once they were done eating, they got up and left the table. As they left, Madison walked in past them, and Matthew made a remark about her weight and how she would eat everything.

"You know, that is really rude," Lucy said. "Why are you so mean to people? She is actually a very nice girl."

Matthew just shrugged, and Lucy had to wonder what insecurities he had. Her Aunt Hermione had told her that anyone who was a bully was usually hiding their own insecurities. Madison was shy but she kind and she was also a very smart girl. She had managed to do the majority of the spells they had been taught so far.

"Why does she spend so much time by herself then. Maybe she is a snob," Matthew said as they headed down a flight of steps that would take them to the Common Room.

"Maybe she agrees with me and thinks you're a jerk," Lucy retorted.

"Why do you hang out with me then if you think that?" Matthew asked with a smirk.

"I only hang out with you because you hang out with Philip who hangs out with Sally! Why couldn't you hang out with anyone but Philip anyway? You were so quiet the night of the sorting, and now you never leave me or Sally alone. Why is it that you hang out with me then?" She asked angrily.

"Do you honestly believe I can get along with Trevor Creevey? He's a nut case that one. Philip is the only normal one out of the bunch. It's not my fault your friends with his sister. I was quiet the night of the sorting because I didn't feel like talking," Matthew answered with a shrug. "Besides, you were the one who told me to get to know you better."

Lucy cleared her throat, and clenched her fists in annoyance. They reached their Common Room, but didn't go inside. The corridor continued for a long way, but at a dead end, it branched out two different ways. Without speaking, Lucy and Matthew continued and then turned right. The corridor was brightly lit. The stone walls contained many pictures of food. There were several portraits of people who were eating feasts, including one of a plump man who offered them some chicken.

As they walked, they began talking about Hogwarts and their families.

"Have you had a run in with Peeves the Poltergeist yet?" Matthew asked as they turned left into a corridor that was slightly darker than the rest.

"No," Lucy answered as she gazed at the walls. There weren't any pictures on the walls. "I've heard of him from my cousins though. I guess he dumped ink in my cousin Rose's hair last year."

Her cousins and Molly had told her several stories about Hogwarts ghosts, but they mainly talked about the poltergeist. She had heard many horror stories of his pranks against students. She was curious about a ghost who was a prankster. He would get on well with her Uncle George who owned a joke shop.

They came to a flight of stairs at the of the hallway. Since there was no other way to go, they decided to take them. The staircase had several twists and turns, and seemed to go on forever. Lucy found herself gasping for breath. Her legs began to get tired as well. When it seemed as if it would never end, the children finally found themselves behind the back of a tapestry. Matthew pushed his way through it.

`We`re on the fifth floor,`Lucy said as she tripped on her way out. She pointed to a familiar portrait on the wall. ``We`re not too far from the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.``

Matthew nodded and then checked his watch. ``It`s almost noon, I guess you should go get told off by your family. I am going to see if the twins are up yet. I`d tell your cousins to sod off if I were you, but that`s just me.``

He turned and walked off, leaving Lucy to stare after him. She had spent the morning with him, and he hadn`t seemed so bad. She wondered if there was more to him than she had originally believed. Turning to walk off in the other direction, she reached up to play with one of her hoop earrings as she pondered her new friend.

Classroom ten was full of dusty desks, some had chairs sitting turned over on them. There were no torches lit, so the room was dark and gloomy looking. It also had a slight chill to it, Lucy felt herself get goosebumps as she shivered. In a corner of the room was Molly, and six cousins.

`Hullo,`she said as she walked over to them. "I don't understand why we're having a meeting. Do you do this often?"

"Sometimes," a beautiful girl by the name of Dominique said. She was sitting backwards in a chair said. "We do it in the Common Room though."

Dominique was part Veela, but unlike her older sister who gloried in her beauty she didn't. She was a tomboy and didn't realize the affect she had on boys, and half the time she didn't care. As far as Lucy knew, the older girl had never had a boyfriend.

"This is for you to talk to us, so certain _people_-" Molly began and glared over at their cousins Fred, James and (to Lucy's surprise) Roxanne "can stop complaining about it. It is _not_ the end of the world that a Weasley was not sorted into Gryffindor."

For the first time in years, Lucy felt relief that Molly was her older sister. The girl rarely spoke up on her behalf. It had been a shock when she had nodded her approval at the sorting. Now she was standing up for her in front of the cousins.

"I agree with Molly," Dominique said, "and there is nothing wrong with Hufflepuff house. It isn't as if she was sorting into _Slytherin_."

"Slytherin isn't a bad house either," Albus spoke up from atop of one of the desks. "Dad told me it doesn't matter where you're sorted. If Lucy likes Hufflepuff then it's fine."

"Says the boy who is friends with the son of a Death Eater!" Fred their caramel skinned cousin let out an angry remark. "A _Slytherin_!"

Albus and Rose were good friends with a boy from the Slytherin house, Scorpius Malfoy. Lucy had been surprised about the friendship along with the rest of cousins. However, she had met him over the summer and found that he was a nice boy, just very quiet. She found it strange that Gryffindor's and Slytherin's were best friends, but it was something that often happened more than when their parents had been in school.

"Do not start with that again," Rose said. "I know Aunt Ginny's Bat Bogey Hex, which you know full well!"

The friendship was something that Fred argued with them a lot, so before an argument could break out, Lucy spoke up. She couldn't stand when they all argued.

"I like Hufflepuff house. I have made new friends, and the Common Room is very nice. I wish you could see it. It has underground tunnels in it that go to the dormitories. I don't mind that I'm not in Gryffindor and none of you should either."

Lucy often didn't speak up for herself, so it ended the fight before it began. They all stared at her. Finally, James, the biggest troublemaker of them all spoke up.

"Well, as long as you're happy," he said. "Then we are happy... but watch out for those two you hang out with. Their father is Zacharias Smith. He gave our parents a hard time all the time when they were in school."

Lucy wondered when the prejudice would end. People always seemed to blame a child's actions on their parents. It didn't seem fair. Although Philip _was_ a git, Sally was very nice. It made her think of poor Scorpius Malfoy. The boy was nothing like his parents, except that he was sorted into Slytherin house. However, people (even in his own house) wanted nothing to do with him.

"Not everyone is like their parents," Dominique pointed out. "Anyway, how was your first week, Lucy?"

Lucy felt herself relax as she began to describe her classes to the cousins. It always her feel happier when they all got along.

As the next month went by, Lucy felt herself getting used to the routine at Hogwarts. The hundreds of owl who floated in every morning no longer made her feel uneasy. Though she had grown up with them, it had made her feel uncomfortable to see so many in one room. She also grew used to her classes and teachers.

As October approached, the students began to learn more about the students who would be arriving soon. Each Head of House had a meeting with their houses to discuss the differences between the Canadian School and Hogwarts. They were taught about their uniforms, the educational system, and their day to day activities.

The students would be arriving by the Hogwarts Express, which was a shock for many people. Lucy knew that Durmstrang had come by a ship, and Beauxbatons by a carriage drawn by flying horses. According to Professor Sprout, their plump Head of House, the Canadian's were coming by an airplane, some strange flying Muggle transportation, and they would board the train.

"So where are they going to stay?" Lucy asked Sally one afternoon as they washed their hands in the washroom in their dormitory.

"Don't know. Maybe they will be sorted and they will stay in the houses. Do you think they have a sorting at their school?" Sally asked as she turned off the water.

As they turned to leave the bathroom, they heard someone retching. Both made a face and hurried out. One of the girls in their dorm seemed to be throwing up a lot lately. Lucy had to wonder if the girl had a weak stomach. It always sounded as if the person was violently throwing up too, and it was a bit worrying. Lucy had debated on whether or not she should bring it up to someone.

"No I think Professor Sprout said that they live by their years," Lucy answered trying to get her mind off of what they had just heard. "Or grades I guess. They don't go by years, but by grades. When they start school they start in grade six, not first year. They go grade six to grade twelve there."

The girls went back up to the Common Room to where the boys were sitting, working on Charms homework. They had moved up to making sparks with their wands. No one but Lucy could do it.

"Since I help you with Transfiguration, you have to help me with this," Matthew told her as she sat down. "It's because of me that you can finally turn the match into a pin."

Since their walk through the corridors, Lucy found the boy to be more enduring to be around. She had to wonder if he had a thing for Sally. Whenever she was around, he was annoying, but if it was just she and Phillip around then he actually acted normal. If it was just the two of them, she found that they got along really well.

"This really isn't that hard," Lucy said. "I don't understand how you can be so good at Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration, but you can't make sparks. Now watch my hand."

It was true that she often had to get his help with Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration. Sometimes when he got spells right away, she thought he should have been sorted into Ravenclaw. He was good in a lot of their classes. The only one he struggled with was Charms. For some reason, he had been one of the last to be able to light his wand.

"Believe it, annoys me too," he said as he followed her hand movements with frustration. "I want to be able to do it, but I can't. Turning one thing into another seems so natural, but this isn't."

The twins were discussing the Canadian students as they worked on their Charms homework. Professor Flitwick had included an essay along with practicing the Charm.

"I think they will be sorted because where else will they stay?" Sally was saying as she worked on her essay. "Maybe we will get first years with us!"

"I hope not," Phillip said. "I don't want foreigners here. They're going to be learning all of our secrets you know. Father says each wizarding school prides itself with it's own secrecy and history. Every time when they let foreigners come here to learn, we throw that out the window. I don't understand why they are even doing this. To be honest with you, I really don't care about their school or any other school."

"Really?" Lucy asked shocked. "I think other schools would be fascinating to learn about."

Phillip wasn't the only one who wasn't excited about the Canadian's coming. She had heard many people complain about them all the time. They didn't want them coming and learning about Hogwarts secrets, or it's location. She didn't understand why people cared so much. Hadn't people been excited when Hogwarts had held the Tri-Wizard tournament? From what she had heard from her aunts and uncles, people had actually dated people from other schools. So what was the problem now?

"Read a book about them then," Phillip answered. "I told our parents about it, and father isn't happy about it."

"But your parents were here for the tri-wizard tournament," Matthew said as he stuck his arm straight up over his head. He was still trying to make sparks. "Wasn't he interested at all?"

"In the tournament he was, but he didn't care for the foreigners. The only one he tried to talk to was Krum, oh and Lucy's aunt, but that's because she is part Veela. Every bloke tried to talk to her. I think many of the students back then were only interested in Krum or Fleur," Philip answered.

"Mum told me that the students were excited when they came," Sally argued. "I remember her telling me about the tournament a couple of years ago. She said the whole school had talked about nothing else about it and the other schools. Some people had even dated people from the other schools."

"Not everyone was," Phillip said.

Lucy was about to interject with some stories she remembered hearing, but she didn't get the chance. The twins got into an argument about it. She had only known them for a few weeks, but she knew you couldn't interrupt when the two got into a fight. They ignored everyone else around them. She and Matthew grinned at each other before she began to help him out with the charm again.

Though she found the argument amusing at that moment, she would later learn that it was a lot more serious than any of them believed. She didn't realize that a lot of people were going to be divided about the subject.


	3. The Canadian's

On October first, the Hogwarts students gathered outside the front doors of the school to greet their visitors. The Heads of Houses had the students line up in order by year. Lucy stood between Matthew and Sally, and stared towards the far distant gates to the school. The staff stood in a group in front of the students and talked in low voices. Professor Redford stood near the students to make sure they were misbehaving.

The old caretaker, Filch stood stooped over by two young men who were holding up lanterns. It was evening, and the day was growing dark. Filch had been the caretaker of the school when Lucy's parents had attended. However, he was getting along in his years, so Professor Redford had hired him two assistants to help him out until he retired, and then they would take over. Apparently they were squibs and had trouble trying to find work. Rumour had it that Filch had also been in that situation. The two new caretakers weren't nearly as bitter though. In fact, the two were laughing at the moment while Filch glared at them.

"When are they going to get here?" A third year girl complained from behind them. "My feet are freezing."

Around them, many people were either talking excitedly or they were complaining. From a lot of the complaint's Lucy heard, she knew that people didn't want to be greeting people they didn't want there anyways. There were others who discussed what they would look like.

Lucy still didn't understand what the big deal was. She had written home to her parents asking why people were upset about it. Her father had written back that it had been happening for as long as he could remember. Many people even in the Ministry didn't like to share the secrets and customs with other countries. Some people enjoyed meeting with foreigners, and others didn't. It was one of the reasons why the Ministry had decided to try this experiment.

_Although many people were excited back when the Tri-Wizard Tournament took place, not everyone was happy about it. In fact, we are still having many problems with the Bulgarian's because we had two champions. Not only that but we do have our secrets and our history, and many people aren't willing to share them with other countries. Some countries even have their own kind of magic which we will never learn because they want to be theirs alone. The Egyptian's are good e_x_ample of this. They have plenty of their own spells and jinxes we do not know. _

_The Goblin's are another good example, even if they are another species. They have their own branch of magic they aren't willing to share with us, just as we aren't with them. This is something you will eventually learn in History of Magic._

_The point is, sharing our skills, customs, beliefs and secrets with others is a touchy subject with some. There were many people at Hogwarts who were not happy about having foreigners during the tournament. They just didn't show it. I think it was because of the tournament more than anything. In this situation, the Canadian's are coming here to learn about Hogwarts and to study there._

The letter continued on longer. Lucy still didn't understand why people cared so much about other people learning their secrets. She was interested in meeting new people and learning about their school. She thought it was interesting that the first years were considered sixth graders, not first years at their school. They also had a few smaller schools that half-bloods and pure-bloods had gone to before they actually learned magic. Though they weren't boarding schools. They were schools the kids went to during the day and then went back home.

"I think I see them!" Someone from behind her suddenly shouted.

Lucy who had been lost in her thoughts about the school system glanced toward the gates. Sure enough there were people walking through the gates to the school. She had to wonder why they didn't take the carriages the older students usually took. An older student walked ahead of everyone holding a Canadian flag. Behind her marched people wearing white and red uniforms. They wore hats that had the maple leaf on them.

Behind the students walked some people who Lucy assumed to be some of the teaching staff. Two of the teachers were carrying a banner above their heads that read: The Canadian Institute of Magic. It had a white background and the lettering was flashing red. On either side of the letters there was a beaver on one side, and moose on the other.

Lucy could hear Fred and James laughing opening at the uniforms. Professor Redford shot a stern glare at the students, and immediately the two boys quieted down. When she looked away, they started to laugh again. As the students drew closer, Lucy grew nervous about meeting these new people. Immediately without realizing it, her hand rose up to her ear, and she began playing with the lobe.

"Good evening," Professor Redford said when the students finally arrived, which had taken a good while. "I am Professor Selwyn Redford, the Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We are all pleased to meet each and every one of you."

A slender tall woman who had been walking behind the students stepped forward. She had long black hair that went down to her waist. She wore white robes with red sleeve cuffs as did the other adults. She however wore a red hat with a crest on it. It had a maple leaf on it, a beaver, a moose, and a wand on it. The moose and the beaver appeared to be holding the wand together from either side. The leaf was above their heads.

"Greetings, I am Headmistress Tremblin. I am pleased to meet you, and grateful that you are allowing us to stay here," and she waved an arm around at the two adults and twenty-one students gathered around her, ranging from eleven to seventeen. The Canadian children were staring at the Hogwarts students with nervous looks on their faces. A girl about thirteen or fourteen moved closer to some of the older students as she eyed everyone nervously.

"Is there a place the students could place their luggage?" Professor Tremblin continued. "We are very tired from the journey."

Lucy looked around, but she could not see any luggage. A moment later, each of the students pulled out of their robe pockets what looked like tiny black boxes with a very small handle on them. As they held them up, the boxes expanded into large trunks. Lucy raised her eyebrows. She wondered why her parents had never thought to buy her a trunk like that. It seemed a lot easier and convenient to carry around.

"Just in the Entrance Hall here. They will be taken down to the quarters you will be staying in during your visit," Professor Redford answered. "If you will follow me."

The Hogwarts students parted to allow the Canadians to pass them. Once they were inside, the Seventh years began to follow them inside. When Lucy finally got into the Great Hall, she could see that the Headmistress was dividing the students up among the four tables. She felt excited when she saw that she put what looked like the first years at Hufflepuff table.

"Lets go sit with them," she said to Sally.

"Do we have to?" Phillip groaned.

"You don't," Sally said cooly as she linked an arm into Lucy's and they walked over to the nervous students.

Lucy and Sally sat down across from three nervous looking students. There were two boys, and a girl. Three more of the foreign students had joined Hufflepuff, but they were older and were sitting near some Seventh years.

"Hullo," Sally said as she eyed the girl who had black hair in a pony-tail. "I am Sally, this is Lucy. Are you first years?"

"Yes," one of the boys answered who had wavy blond hair. "Well, we're in the sixth grade, but yes at Hogwarts here we would be first years."

Matthew and Phillip had joined the girls anyway. They both smirked when the boy answered. Lucy wasn't too sure, but she had a feeling it had to do with the accent. Phillip had been laughing at Professor Tremblin's accent as they had entered Hogwarts.

"I know it goes by grades, but why didn't you start as first graders?" Sally asked.

Before anyone could answer, they were interrupted as the plates and goblets suddenly appeared in front of everyone, causing the new people all to gasp. Lucy would later learn it was not because they had appeared out of thin air, but because they were gold. They hadn't used gold plates or goblets at their school.

"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Professor Redford said from the front of the Hall. "I hope each and every one of you will be comfortable during your stay here. As you will be learning here, we will also get the opportunity to learn all about you. I would like to welcome Professor's Trinity," and a blond woman stepped forwards and nodded, "and Professor Kreepin," a grey haired man nodded and held up a hand "to the staff this year. Professor Trinity is the History of Magic teacher. She will be teaching some of Professor Binn's classes for you to learn the Canadian Magical history. Please show her the respect you would for your teachers here at Hogwarts. Professor Kreepin is the assistant Headmaster. He will be travelling back and forth between here and Canada. While he is here, he will be assisting the Canadian students with their needs. We have a special feast planned for tonight, so I hope you enjoy!"

At those words, the plates in front of them suddenly filled up with food. Everyone immediately started to reach for the food to fill their plates. As they did, the boy who had answered spoke up to answer Sally's question.

"We finished Magical primary school in the fifth grade. It was Kindergarten to grade five. Then we start sixth grade at The Institute. Muggleborns also went to school for Kindergarten to grade five. They learned what we did, reading, writing, math but Muggle stuff as well. We learned all we needed to know about the wizarding world, and our countries history, as well as the Muggle world," he answered as he took a sip of juice and then began to eat.

"It's really different here though," the girl said. "I'm Amber by the way. We all go to the same school like here, but the sixth to eighth grades are separate from the ninth to twelfth graders. We eat in a different room and sleep in a different building from them. We also sleep in our dorms and share a Common Room by our grade. I heard you share houses or something with all the years together in one Common Room."

Phillip, though he was against having the new people there began to explain Hogwarts and Hufflepuff house to them. Lucy glanced around the Great Hall. She saw that some of the older Canadian's were sitting at the Gryffindor table with her cousins and sister. They appeared to be asking them questions as well.

"-and there is another school for the French," the boy who hadn't introduced himself yet was saying. "It's in Quebec. I guess they once tried to have everyone go to the same secondary school, but it didn't work out too well so they just made two schools. We have some french classes at our school. That's why Professor's Trinity and Kreepin are here, so we don't get behind, but they will also be opening a-"

"Shh," Amber said quickly. "Remember they are waiting to make that announcement later."

Lucy assumed whatever the boy had been about to say was about a French class. She was a little interested because her Veela cousins knew french. Sometimes Victoire, Dominique and their younger brother Louis would get in an argument in french, which could be annoying. If she learned the language she would be able to follow them for once.

As the dinner went on, they learned more from the new people. It turned out that Amber was only ten and wouldn't be eleven until December. At Hogwarts, a person had to be eleven by September first to attend Hogwarts. However, the cut-off date for students was December thirty-first in Canada. Lucy wondered what Roxanne would think of that. Her birthday was at the end of September, and it had bothered her years ago that she had to wait a year because her birthday was after the cut-off date for Hogwarts.

Phillip did most of the talking, so Lucy figured that he was finally accepting them. However, once they were walking down to the Common Room, he started to make fun of their accents. During the month that they were waiting for their guests, the teachers and prefects had worked to clean up the castle, and put up Canadian flags in some corridors. As they walked past one of the flags down to the Common Room, Phillip jumped up to rip one down. Several first and second years laughed.

Lucy slowed down and let the others pass before she knelt down to pick it up. She felt that it was degrading to treat the flag that way. She used a basic sticking charm they had learned a week ago, and put the flag back up. Something in Phillips behaviour and the way people laughed made her feel sick to her stomach.

The next morning they found out exactly what Amber had been about to say the night before. On the notice board in the Common Room, there was a notice about a French club opening up soon. People were to sign up if they were interested.

"Going to sign up?" Matthew asked from behind her causing her to jump. She had been alone moments ago.

"Why do you sneak up on me?" She hissed annoyed.

"I was sitting in a chair waiting on you and the twins. I saw you so I came over," Matthew said with a shrug. "It isn't my fault that you're not observant."

Sally at the moment was taking a shower before class. Lucy rose earlier than the rest of the girls in the dorms, so she could have the bathroom to herself. Back at home she had her own bathroom in her room, so she wasn't used to sharing in the mornings. At times she missed having her own room and bathroom, so she rose early so she could have time to herself before classes. It seemed Matthew felt the same way because he was usually up before the other boys came down.

"I might yes," she answered and explained about her cousins.

"You have an interesting family, you know that?" Matthew asked as they left the Common Room. "You're related to Harry Potter, you have Veela cousin's and two of your cousins aren't white... which is odd since the majority of you are pale with red hair."

"It's because Fred and Roxanne's parents are bi-racial," Lucy answered.

"I know _that_," Matthew said as he rolled his eyes. "I just meant I've never met a family who had such... _variety_ like yours does."

_You can't even possibly know _Lucy thought to herself as she thought about Teddy Lupin, her Uncle Harry's godson. The boy was dating her cousin Victoire and was Metamorphmagus. If the two married and had a child, the baby would be part Veela and would likely be a Metamorphmagus as well. She didn't say this though, but she knew he was right. She had a large and interesting family.

"Anyway the Canadian's seem interesting. School system is strange though. They take their OWLs at the end of the eighth grade, which is third year for us. And then once they've passed all the classes they can drop the class or re-take the class during the summer to try and pass. They actually have summer school there. Then that's when they can take classes like Divination, or Muggle Studies. It's confusing because that means they don't need OWLs in that class or what?" Matthew was saying as they headed up to the Great Hall.

"They said grades six, seven, and eight are like a separate school," Lucy answered with a shrug. "I don't really get what they meant but the boy said that passing the OWLs in the eighth grade is like passing from Junior High into High school in the Muggle world."

She didn't really understand it either. She didn't know what a Junior High was, but she was curious. She was hoping to see the three first years again to learn more about their school and country. They walked past the flag that Phillip had pulled down. It was still hanging in a crooked way. It made Lucy feel angry, and she was relieved that the boy wasn't around. She didn't understand what was going on through his mind.

When they entered the Great Hall, Lucy glanced over at the Gryffindor table. It had become a habit over the last month to do so. The cousins were all there and they surrounded some of the new students. Six of them maybe in the fourth and fifth year (or ninth and tenth grade) were sitting there chatting with them. None of them looked uncomfortable, so Lucy figured her cousins were being friendly. In fact, Fred was showing them what looked like one of her uncles snackboxes from the joke shop.

"I think he is going to give them a Puking Pastille," Matthew commented. "I hate those things. I tried one of their extra strength ones once to see what it was like and it was horrible. Guess the label was right when it said I would throw up violently. I think I saw Maddy buying them from Fred the other day. Wonder why she is doing to skive off classes?"

Lucy wasn't really listening, she was looking for the three first years. She found them sitting with Trevor Creevey. She knew that Matthew wouldn't want to sit with him, so she walked to the end of the table instead. They had the rest of the year to learn about them after all.

"How much do you want to bet they'll want to pack up and leave after talking to him?" Matthew asked as they sat down. "I know I've wanted to move out of the dorm. He asks such stupid questions."

Lucy poured herself a bowl of cereal and then glared at him.

"I suppose that is something you would like?" She asked. "You and Phillip both seem to have something against them."

Matthew raised his eyebrows at her and then rolled his eyes.

"No I actually don't care. I personally believe people are getting worked up over nothing. What about those who move to a new country? There is nothing they can do about it. What about tourists? There are places that are devoted to tourism where people from other countries can learn about our history and magic. I think it's best to ignore the haters. They'll get bored with it."

Lucy nodded and began to eat her cereal. Perhaps Phillip had done what he did to impress the others. Everyone would forget about it and welcome the Canadian's after a while.

Lucy strolled through the corridors by herself on her way to the library. She was meeting the cousins and her sister to work on her homework. They had started working together after their meeting in the classroom. Apparently the family had started small meetings years ago without their friends to catch up. She had thought that since they were all Gryffindor's they wouldn't need these meetings. However that wasn't the case, they all had their own lives that didn't include each other.

She walked passed Filch the caretaker who was shouting at his two assistants. The two boys were in their early twenties and seemed to be very carefree. They didn't seem to be as upset as Filch was about being a Squib. At the moment, they were mopping up a large puddle coming from a girls bathroom. They kept splashing each other and laughing while they worked.

Filch stood stooped over on a cane.

"Enough joking around! This castle needs to be cleaned from top to bottom boys!"

The boys smirked at each other, when they saw that Lucy was watching the one winked at her. She smiled and hurried onto the library. She was actually curious about how they could be so happy about working in the castle. They would be there watching people learn magic, something they would never be able to do.

She found her cousins all sitting at a table talking in whispers when she entered the library. They were discussing the Canadian's and how some of the people in Gryffindor resented them. She found a spot beside Albus. She waited until they finished their discussion before she brought up the young caretakers.

"Oh, my mum found them, they are brothers," Rose answered. "I guess their parents let them try to live in the Muggle world. Many wizarding families do that if they produce a squib. It's nicer to let them grow up in the non-magical world rather than have them see all they'll never be able to do. Well Christopher and Marshall were never happy in the Muggle world. They can still see Diagon Alley I guess, maybe because their parents can, so they were looking for jobs there. Mum talked to Professor Redford and she hired them here. Filch is really getting along and is useless anyways, so they needed someone new. They are just happy to be back in the magical world again."

James who was sitting across from Albus raised his eyebrows. "They're actually happy working here? I wouldn't want to be here and seeing kids learn magic that I could have learned myself. They probably would have come here right?"

"Yes, but it's the closest they'll get," Molly answered. "Some squibs would rather live among Muggles, while others still want to be here. I expect they are hoping to have magical children. If they marry witches they have a better change of producing one rather than if they marry a Muggle."

Fred grinned. "I can't complain about it. They are more easy-going and they won't assign detentions unless they absolutely have to. They actually like seeing the magical stuff that Filch banned. He took my fanged frisbee away and then I saw them playing with it two days later. They offered to give it back, but I let them keep it. Seemed happy with it."

Her older sister didn't look too happy about this. She started to complain that they should do their job, but no one listened. Everyone either rolled their eyes or ignored her and started to do their homework. The cousins had a hard time being around Molly at times. Lucy suspected they only included her in the family meetings because they felt they should. She knew that Dominique and Roxanne, who were in the same year as Molly didn't really talk to her. At one time the three had been inseparable, but it had changed when they'd started Hogwarts.

Lucy thought about how odd it was that two children in one family ended up being squibs. Apparently Dominique wondered the same thing because she asked.

"Happens with Muggles doesn't it?" James asked and he popped a candy into his mouth. Molly frowned at him with disapproval. There was no candy allowed in the library. "Sometimes all their children end up magical right? Guess it can happen with wizards too."

"Also, I think they have Muggle grandparents," Rose answered. "But I guess if they are happy here... at least they aren't grumpy. Last year Filch tried to put me in detention even though I still had five minutes to get to the Common Room."

"They also think Peeves is a riot," Roxanne said. "I saw them egging him on the other day. They were trying to get him to attack Filch. It was quite funny to be honest."

The conversation slowly moved from the new caretakers to the Canadian's again. Lucy told them what had happened the night they had arrived, but for some reason she couldn't tell them it had been Phillip. Instead, she told them that one of the boys in her house had done it without mentioning his name. They were outraged by this. They believed that people like Phillip were only going to get worse instead of better.

"There are people who believe Muggleborns shouldn't be here, and they haven't changed their opinion yet. Why would they change their opinion on something that is less serious?" Rose answered.

Lucy wasn't sure what to say to that, so she kept quiet. A month ago, she had been ecstatic about them coming to Hogwarts. However, it wasn't as much fun as it seemed it would be back then. Not wanting to think about it anymore, she brought up Quidditch. Automatically everyone was in a good mood, and they began to talk about the Gryffindor team and whether or not they would win for a fourth year in a row.

The Gryffindor team mainly made up of Weasley's and she knew Albus and Rose had tried out that year, but hadn't made the team. They had been good, but there were people who were better then them. Lucy secretly believed it was for the best. People would think that the Gryffindor team was putting players on out of favouritism and not from skill. She wondered if the Canadian's played Quidditch at all. It would be something to ask them later on.

A few days later she sat with her friends, she contemplated on whether or not she would try out for the Hufflepuff team. She was fairly good, having been trained by her relatives from the moment she could ride a toy broom. However, she wasn't sure if she would enjoy playing on the team. When she played at The Burrow, it was just for fun. At Hogwarts it would be serious and she would have many people counting on her.

She asked Sally what she thought and whether or not she would try out.

"I don't really like playing," Sally answered. "I love flying, but I've never enjoyed the sport. When our parents took us to see matches I actually got bored from them, so when Quidditch season starts I might not even watch... maybe when Hufflepuff plays but that is it."

"You're a Weasley, isn't it expected you play?" Phillip asked with sneer. "Half the Gryffindor team is made up of your cousins isn't it? But then again, perhaps you didn't get the talent after all. You're not a Gryffindor like them. You don't seem to as smart as the rest of them. The only class you're good at is Charms, you're rubbish at everything else."

Lucy wasn't sure what happened next. All she knew was that her wand was pointing at the obnoxious boy and she was furious. She didn't think about saying the incantation, all she knew was she said it and he was suddenly covered in boils. James had taught her the spell a long time ago, but she had never practised it. So it was a surprise that she could do it right away. Everything that annoyed her about Phillip came out at that moment in her fury.

"You're wrong," she snarled. "I am like my family because they are known for the Weasley temper, which you can see I have! Quit saying things about me and my family. I am sick of you being a prat to me and everyone else. You're an obnoxious git who is nothing but talk!"

She placed her wand into her robes pocket and turned to Sally who was staring with her mouth open.

"You are my best friend Sally, but your brother is a git," she said.

She then turned and left the Common Room. It was the weekend and the weather was still nice enough to be able to sit outside. She figured she would go out and sit by the lake. She was still furious and if she stayed a moment longer around Phillip, she was going to end up hexing him again. As she headed to the Great Hall, she heard someone running after her.

"Wow, if you use that anger when you are in Defense Against the Dark Arts, I bet you could duel really well. Professor Fraymen would be impressed. He has often told us that it involves intensity."

Lucy left out a sigh and glared at Matthew.

"Why is it that you are always around? Why didn't you stay with Phillip?" She demanded.

"Well, I was going to take him to the hospital wing, but I think Sally may have a temper as bad as yours. Needless to say I didn't feel like sitting around and watching that. So I left them to it. He started to yell back, and you know how awkward it is when those two argue." Matthew answered.

Lucy did feel bad hearing that. She didn't like to be the cause of the two fighting. She told this to Matthew who gave a small shrug.

"Those two argue over quills, I wouldn't worry about it. I don't understand why they hang out together to be honest. I've never met a brother and sister who fight as much as they do. I thought twins were supposed to be close."

"They are close, that's why they hang out together," Lucy said. "Sally once told me that they only had each other because they didn't play with other people their age. I think the Canadian's have the right idea. They send their kids to magical primary schools to learn, so some of them already know each other before they start at the main school. I was lucky because I have a big family, but there are people who don't know anyone until they actually start at Hogwarts."

They headed out the front doors. Matthew mentioned going to the Quidditch Pitch because he knew Hufflepuff had practice that day. When they got to the Pitch, it was to see that several people were playing, including their guests. In fact, on closer inspection they saw that it was some Hogwarts students against the new students. There were many people in the stands watching and cheering.

The foreign students were quite good. They must have been allowed to bring their own brooms, because one of the older students had a Nimbus two-thousand and fifteen, but it had been changed to red and white. Their team consisted of older students. The Hogwarts team was a mix up of the four houses. The Keeper was Albus's and Rose's friend Scorpius Malfoy. He actually played quite well.

"Makes me want to play," Matthew muttered as they went into the stand. "I hate not being able to play. I wanted to try out for the house team, but there were no openings this year, but first years can't have their own brooms anyway. So it wouldn't have mattered."

"My cousins often play for the fun of it," she told him. "Maybe I'll see if they want to sometime. We would have to use the school brooms, but that is all right. I'm sure we could get a team though, and maybe some of the Hufflepuff first years could play. Maddy once told me she loves playing Quidditch. We also always have competitions at The Burrow during the summers. We always invite friends, so you could come."

Matthew shrugged and then he glanced at her with a frown on his face.

"Speaking of Maddy, I noticed that she-" he began but was interrupted as Fred Weasley ran over to her carrying his broom.

"Lucy! It's your turn, Foreign's against Hogwarts students. We've been playing them all day, and they are _good!_ Rose is playing Chaser, but she is getting tired. You're good, come on!" He told her.

Lucy took the broom from him.

"Why can't you play?" She asked as she examined it.

It was a one of the newest brooms on the market, a Tornado. It was supposed to be one of the best as well. A lot of the cousins had one, she knew James and Albus had them.

"You know I only play Beater. I'm like my dad," Fred answered.

Lucy hesitated and then glanced at Matthew. He was staring at the broom with hunger, and she knew she had to let him play instead.

"Matthew is good at Quidditch, can he play instead? I'm more interested in watching," Lucy said.

She thought Fred would decline, but he nodded. He let Lucy hand the eager boy the broom but threatened him to bring it back in one piece. Matthew saluted him and ran off the bleachers to the Pitch.

"Those people sure are interesting," Fred said as he put an arm around Lucy. "Can't honestly understand why people are making a fuss about them being here. It's getting worse though. I saw some people vandalizing their flags. And it's people from all four houses! A good amount of time, it's the Slytherin's causing problems but not this time. We managed to stop them from saying anything to the Canadian's but I don't know for how much longer. Rose believes that people are soon going to tell them their opinion rather than doing childish pranks."

Lucy watched as Matthew did an excited loop in the air before he caught the Quaffle. He hadn't been lying, he did play Quidditch well.

"I'm wondering the same thing," she answered. "Maybe they'll get bored with it though. I think they know better then to come right out and say something because those people are our guests."

The two watched the game in silence, neither realizing just how far the students would end up taking it.


	4. The HSAC

One evening, on their way to the library, Sally and Lucy heard a loud commotion in the corridor. The two girls hurried to find the source of the noise. There was a group of students gathered at a dead end. Pushing her way through them, Lucy made her way to the front of the crowd. There, in front of them in red paint said:

GO BACK TO CANADA! WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE.

Underneath was written in smaller letters was:

Signed by HSAC (Hogwarts Students Against Canadians.)

The students who were all gathered at the wall seemed to be outraged by this. Lucy figured those who had done it had high tailed it before anyone could find them. It was just after dinner, so the people who had done it made sure no one was around. Lucy felt someone tugging on her arm, she turned to see that it was Sally.

"Let's go," she said as she pulled Lucy away. "We can't do anything, and it might be better to go before the teachers see this."

"Maybe we should find a teacher. We don't want the Canadian's to see this," Lucy said as they turned back down the corridor. "We should find someone to get rid of it."

Sally nodded and they discussed which teachers office was closest as they walked back up the corridor. Lucy thought about they way it was signed. The HSAC sounded as if it were an organization. She knew it couldn't have been Phillip, both he and Matthew had been with the girls at dinner. They had gone back to the Common Room afterwards. The boy wouldn't have had time to do it. Though she had to wonder if he was part of the group though.

Sally let out a small sigh, "Oh I hope to Merlin that Phillip isn't part of that group."

Ahead of them they saw the two new tall dark haired caretakers working away with a push broom and a mop, though the two were doing more fooling around than cleaning. They reminded her of children more than men in their early twenties. One hit the other in the knees with a mop he wasn't even using.

"Excuse me," Sally said in a shy voice as they approached the men.

The one man was busy swearing at the other, but they both stopped what they were doing when the girls reached them.

"Hello young ladies," the younger of the two said with a large grin.

"Somebody painted something really awful on the wall back there," Lucy said as she pointed over her shoulder. "We're worried it will be... offensive to certain people."

"Bloody hell, we better get to it before Filch sees it, Chris. You know how uptight he gets, though I don't know why. It's an old dirty castle full of adolescents. We're not going to get it spic and span," the man who must have been Marshall said, and he leaned the broom up against the wall.

Lucy and Sally led them back down the corridor where the crowd of students had grown. There seemed to be two sides of students there however. Some seemed to be really pleased with the message on the wall... including Phillip. He and Matthew stood back from the group, he wore a smirk on his face. There was something strange about it though, he didn't seem as if he were shocked by the writing on the wall.

"Coming through, coming through," Chris said and the students parted to the caretakers through.

"Merlin's pants!" Marshall said. "Which one of you did this? Why so much hate? Get out of here before we call Filch... this is ridiculous."

It was the first time that any of them had heard the new caretakers seem so cross. It didn't take long for the crowd to disperse though, leaving Lucy, Matthew, Phillip and Sally behind. The twins were busy eying each other. Sally was glaring, while her brother stared back at her with what looked to be a guilty look on his face.

"Tell me that you weren't involved in this Phillip Zacharias Smith," Sally hissed as she jabbed a finger into his chest, causing him to back up.

"Of course not, it happened during supper!" Phillip protested. "What is the big deal anyway? Lay off Sally."

"The big deal is that it's rude and offensive," Marshall answered as he and Chris surveyed the wall. "Not only that but Filch is going to have kittens when he sees this. Now get out of here."

The four students turned and walked down the corridor. The twins continued to bicker back and forth. Lucy glanced over at Matthew and wondered if he was part of the HSAC. Philip was his good friend after all. Although he often said he didn't care that the Canadians were there, he might have joined just for something to do, or to belong to something.

"You had better not be part of the HSAC!" Sally shouted as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Sally, get off of my case!" Phillip said. "I told you I had nothing to do with it. That doesn't mean I don't agree with it. This isn't like the Tr-Wizard Tournament when our parents were here. The reason these people are here is to learn _our _secrets."

"Oh you don't even know what you're talking about!" Sally answered as she rolled her eyes. "You're just repeating other peoples beliefs. The schools do like to protect their secrets, but obviously they don't mind sharing too much if they invited foreigners here!"

Phillip and Sally both stopped walking and glared at each other. Lucy tried to stop as well, but Matthew pushed her forward and shook his head.

"Leave them to it," he muttered as he continued to push her forward. "Best not to get involved, you know that."

"You aren't part of the HSAC are you?" Lucy asked as she pulled herself out of his grip.

Matthew shot her glare as he shoved his hands into his robe pockets. He stared down at his feet. The two walked past a ghost who was reading what looking to be a ghost letter.

"Denied once again!" he was saying.

"Why is it that both you and Sally always assume that if Phillip is involved in something, I am as well?" Matthew asked kicking a stray rock across the corridor. "When you hexed Phillip, Sally yelled at _me_ later for it. Told me that Phillip and me need to stop making fun of people and your family. I haven't said anything about your family in ages, and when I did, I was _joking_."

Lucy didn't answer, she stared down at the floor. She decided he did have a point. Although the boy did still make fun of Madison and Trevor. She knew that he and a couple of boys from Gryffindor had Spellotaped the small boy to a statue for the fun of it. So because of pranks like that one, her thoughts weren't too farfetched.

"I'm not a follower," Matthew muttered and then he turned down a corridor to a right before looking back at her over his shoulder. "Don't follow me please."

Lucy watched as he headed down the corridor on his own, hands still jammed in his pockets. _Well, it's not my fault I assume things. You're the one who is a bully. _Lucy thought to herself. She was lost in her thoughts that she didn't pay attention to where she was going. So when she heard someone calling her name, she jumped out of shock.

James Potter and Fred Weasley were standing beside a statue of a man holding a bow and arrow. Fred motioned for Lucy to come over. Lucy walked over to them quickly. It was unusual for the two to have serious expressions on their faces. James leaned up against the statue as she approached.

"So I suppose you saw that message?" James asked as he ran his hand through his hair.

Lucy nodded and crossed her arms as she said. "We told the two new caretakers. We're hoping they can get rid of it before the Canadian's see it. Do you think any of them saw it?"

"If they didn't, they'll hear about it," Fred answered as he too leaned against the statue. "I don't think this is the last we'll hear of this HSAC either. Something tells me they started this little group before the foreigners got here."

"Which is why we think we need to start our own little group," James said as he nodded in agreement with Fred. "A group to defend our guests. It's what my dad would do. He started the DA after all."

"What we need to do is work underground to try and find out who is in this pathetic group. We'll stop them before they can do anything else to offend the Canadian's." Fred jumped in.

Although Lucy agreed that something needed to be done, she thought it was best to leave that to the teachers. Something told her that while the boys hearts were in the right place, they were just looking for a reason to have a group. The Weasley family was a close family. There was always dinner at The Burrow every Sunday night. So Lucy had grown up hearing many of her cousins talking about how they wanted to be just like their parents. So to hear that they wanted to form their own underground group made her think that they were only trying to copy their parents.

Reaching up to play with her earlobe, Lucy said very quietly, "Wouldn't it be best just to leave it to the teachers?"

"Knew you would say something like that," James said and he and Fred exchanged looks. "The teachers, all they can do is warn people. They'll put them in detention if they are caught. Look, what if people were attacking Muggleborns again? We'd want to put a stop to it. This is what we are trying to do now, _before_ it gets out of hand. You're either in, or you're out but I wish you would help. I know you don't like it either."

"What if they had sent Hogwarts students to another school?" Fred asked. "Would you like it if you knew some of us were being treated this way? What if they threw our flag on the floor and laughed?"

Lucy sighed and stared up at her cousins. The two boys, though they were only thirteen were so much taller than she was.

"I agree but I just don't think starting a group to fight people is a good idea," Lucy answered feeling as if she were like Molly or her father. "This isn't Dumbledore's Army. They started their group so they could learn defensive jinxes. Later they used it to defend themselves and other students because they were being attacked. This group you want to start is to fight with other students."

"To stop other students from picking on people," Fred corrected. "We want to stop innocent people, who are supposed to be our guests from being attacked. Listen, just come to our first meeting. We'll explain everything there."

Lucy agreed to go, but she wasn't sure if she liked the idea. To her it sounded as if her cousins wanted to start a war. James wanted to be so much like his father, he would do anything. She had to ask, though she felt as if she already knew the answer.

"Are you going to call this new group the DA?"

Fred and James exchanged glances again and simultaneously shook their heads.

"No. There can never be another DA," James said. "Though you think we're copying our fathers we aren't. We don't have a name as of yet. That will come later. Right now we are recruiting people and planning our first meeting."

The Hufflepuff first years shared Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions with the Canadian's. They were shocked to find out that they had learned some basic potions in their primary schools.

"Of course we weren't allowed to do an actual potion, but half of the fifth grade was preparatory for The Institution," Amber explained to Lucy and Sally while they cut up dried caterpillars into small equal pieces. "Basically, they had us pretend we were making potions, or read up on them. It was the same for most of the classes we learn magic in. Sixth graders often have trouble when they first start doing classes, so they wanted to help us out as much as they could. It was still hard though. I suck at Transfiguration, and that was one they had us use fake wands for."

Lucy put her chopped up caterpillar into her cauldron and peered into make sure it was the right colour.

"So are you learning the same potions in the first year over there as you are here?" She asked as she stirred the potion to get it to the pale blue it was supposed to be.

"Yes basically. I compared the text book I bought at home with the one we are using here. Most are the same, maybe there are some different ones. I was worried about coming here, you see. I didn't want to get behind because I know all schools can be different, I went to two different primary schools in the same country and that was confusing. The new school I went to had already done what I hadn't learned yet. So I figured coming to another country altogether would be hard," Amber answered whose potion was the exact colour it needed to be. "It actually isn't. I guess there are some differences in the classes, but what we are learning here is what I would have learned there too."

Lucy watched the younger girl carefully, who was still peering her into her cauldron. Did she know that people at Hogwarts didn't want her there? So far, most of the people from 'The Institute' as they called it, were very friendly. None of them had shown that they knew what had been written on the wall. Perhaps the teachers had done a good job to make sure they were shielded from it all.

Professor Sprout, Hufflepuffs Head of House had come down to the Common Room the night of the incident. Apparently all of the Heads visited the Houses to talk to the students about their rude behaviour. She basically told them what Fred and James had assumed the teachers would. Stop or they will put the perpetrators in detention if their caught.

"That's a big _if," _Lucy had said to Sally and Matthew later. "They need to be caught first, but I get the feeling they'll make a plan before they do something else."

Which made her think more about Fred and James idea to form a group themselves. It would be handy of they could catch the culprits before they did it. It would also be easy if they could find out who was in the other group... which gave her an idea.

The Room of Requirement, a room which students had used in the past to hide out was now watched carefully. Ever since the Battle of Hogwarts, the teachers and prefects had to patrol around the room to make sure no one was in there. Lucy knew they had many reasons for this. One was to make sure people weren't trying to have secret student meetings in there. Another was because a secret passage had been discovered in it, which led directly to Hogsmeade.

However, it helped to have a cousin dating a prefect who happened to be on patrol of the room. Roxanne was dating Howie Wood, the sixth year Gryffindor prefect. On the day he had to patrol the room was when they had their first meeting. Lucy had thought that perhaps Molly would be a help in all of this, but she was informed before the meeting that she wasn't.

"Molly takes her prefect badge very seriously," Albus explained to Lucy and Sally as they headed to the Room of Requirement. "James mentioned to her that we wanted to form a group to defend the Canadian's, but she said no right away. She says our hearts are in the right place, but it's forbidden to have an unapproved groups at Hogwarts. So we decided to leave her out of it. She wouldn't have allowed this anyway. It's been hard communicating to each other about it."

They were walking along the fifth floor, the room was up on the seventh. Lucy found there to be a flaw in this right away. Her sister knew the cousins well. She knew that even if she forbade it, they would do it anyway. If caught wind of the two different groups fighting, she would put two and two together.

"Of course we have to be really careful as well. I wouldn't put it past her to tell on us if she found out we were doing it anyways. I wish we could do what the DA did, and use gold coins, but no one knows how to do it. So we can't. We just have to be really careful when we talk to each other. James and Fred think they already have an idea for that though," Albus answered as they climbed up a flight of stairs behind a tapestry.

The steps had a couple of twists to it, just as the one Matthew and Lucy had discovered earlier in the year. Once they were at the top of the steps, they came to a dead end. Albus however walked right through it as if there was no wall there at all. Lucy and Sally followed and discovered that it was only a doorway pretending to be a wall.

"James showed me that last year," Albus answered with a grin at the look of shock on their faces. "There are a lot of secret passages in this castle. Some lead out of it, but we haven't found them all. The ones our parents used are gone now. They covered those up when they rebuilt Hogwarts after the war. The castle seemed to have made new ones though... don't ask how, I don't know. Teddy discovered a couple though and told James and me about them. He thinks there are a lot more."

Lucy figured it was just the magic of the castle. If people had to get out, then it provided for them. She grinned as she thought about her cousins trying to find the new ways into Hogsmeade. She knew they would all spend their remaining years at Hogwarts trying to find them all.

The stairway that Albus had taken them through had led them just down the hall from the Room. He began to pace back and forth in front of a wall that was across from a tapestry. Lucy moved over closer to inspect it and discovered it was of someone trying to teach trolls to dance ballet. She had heard of it before, but she couldn't remember the name.

"Come on Luce," Albus called. "We should hurry."

Lucy turned to see he had his hand resting on a door knob. Quickly, she left the tapestry and went into the door which he opened for the girls to go in first. Inside, she discovered was a basic stone room. In the middle of it was a table with some chairs around it. She was surprised to learn that it still worked when apparently a fire had destroyed the room over twenty years ago.

There were many people sitting around the table. She saw all of her cousins, and their various friends she had met over the years. There were also a some Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and even Slytherins. She had expected people from her house and Ravenclaw to come, but that was it.

"Find a seat anywhere Luce," Albus told her and then he nodded at Sally as well.

Lucy walked over to the table and took a seat beside Scorpius Malfoy, Rose and Albus's friend. Sally took a seat on her other side. Once she was seated, she was able to survey the people around the room. Most of the people were older. She and Sally were the only two first years.

James and Fred were standing together at the head of the table. Most people were talking amongst themselves. James stuck his fingers in his mouth and let out a loud high pitched whistle, which caused everyone to stop and look at him.

"Hello everyone, you all know why we're here," Fred said.

"To kick some butt!" An older boy from Ravenclaw who might have been in the fifth year shouted.

"Well, yes and no," James said. "We have to be discreet about this. First of all, we have to find out who is in the group, and what they plan to do next. We can't just attack them, as much as we would like to."

"My dad has a new joke item that will make someone's ears fall off," Fred added. "I would like more than anything to try it out on one of them. It will look suspicious if we start ambushing people though."

A Hufflepuff girl in the sixth year put up her hand and spoke.

"How do we even know for sure they plan to do something else? This could have been a one time thing."

Lucy saw James roll his eyes.

"That's what we are trying to find out. I get the feeling that they have formed some kind of Anti-Canadian group since they've named themselves. This is why we have made our own group. There will be a lot more people on the look-out to see if anyone is doing anything suspicious. Everyone here has already said they aren't pleased with the treatment of our guests," James answered and there was a small murmur of agreement.

"I don't think it will be too hard to find out who is in the HSAC. It will be anyone who says they don't want the Canadian's here," Fred added on. "So what we need to do is watch them. We can find out if they are having any meetings."

Lucy raised her hand and felt her face redden as people turned to stare at her.

"We could have spies at their meetings if they are having any,"she said in a small voice, which surprisingly carried across the table. "Then we can find out when they are going to do something."

She expected people to dislike her idea, but there seemed to be an agreement with it. Dominique was however frowning, she seemed to be in deep thought.

"It's a good idea," she said. "But a lot of the people in this room have gotten angry with those people. It's the reason why we invited everyone here. You've all voiced your opinion about it. They are going to be suspicious if one of us ends up at their meeting."

That's when Scorpius who Lucy had only met a few people spoke up. She knew there were some people suspicious of him because he was a Malfoy, but they also seemed to accept him since he hung out with Albus and Rose once and a while.

"I could sit in on their meetings. I happen to know some of the people who have formed the group," he said. "I haven't expressed my opinion to anyone but Albus and Rose about the matter. In my Common Room I'm quite the pariah. I happen to hear things because people like to brag in the dormitory."

James glared suspiciously at Scorpius, who Lucy knew he still didn't trust. She didn't understand why when she knew he had been at the Potter place quite a few times over the summer. He had been at a couple of the dinners at The Burrow as well.

"Right, and how do I know you aren't spying for them now Malfoy?" James spat out while Fred glared. A few other people glared at him as well, but Scorpius didn't seem affected by it.

"Kick me out then if you feel that way, Potter," he answered in a drawling voice as he leaned back in his chair. "I think you've seen for yourself that the people in my house do not trust me or like me. I do not for a moment agree with the treatment of the foreigners simply because the same thing happened to me in my dorm last year. I don't wish it on anyone else. I do not care if they are here or not, but I find the acts of my fellow students to be immature. I know the humiliation that comes from not being wanted."

Lucy wondered what he meant when he mentioned that he'd had the same thing happen to him. She looked at the boy beside her with new eyes. She didn't distrust him the way her cousins did, but she had never really thought about how he felt to be hated by so many people. He noticed her staring at him, and he raised his eyebrows the same way Matthew had done the night of the sorting. Blushing, she quickly stared down at the table, and began to trace some of the swirls in the dark wood.

"Scorpius has proven time and again that he is trustworthy," Rose who was on his other side said in a cool voice. "I think you just _want_ to dislike him. He can be very useful if you let him be."

James glared at the boy again and didn't say anything. It was Fred, who had an equal dislike for him who spoke up.

"We can use you as a spy," he said in a threatening voice. "If you prove to be a snake, then we have ways of dealing with that."

"Don't sound so dramatic Weasley," Scorpius said as he rolled his grey eyes. "I said I would sit in on the meetings. I doubt I'll have to considering Derek Baddock can't keep his mouth shut. In fact, I can already tell you that at the first Quidditch match of the year they are planning something. I haven't figured out what yet, but it won't be too hard to find out."

"Is it mainly Slytherin's behind this then?" Lucy asked.

"No Weasley," Scorpius said with a sigh. "There are some of your precious Hufflepuffs involved as well, along with Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. It's a small group of people ranging from first year to seventh year in all four houses. In fact, from what I heard, there are more Gryffindors involved than any house. That is one of Baddock's main complaints."

"It's Lucy," she said with annoyance as she glared at the boy, "and I only asked since they don't seem to care to be revealing it all in the Common Room. So it seems as if a good amount of people know about it."

"Baddock is in my year, Weasley, he talks about it in the dorm. He pretends I don't exist, so he doesn't care if I hear him and his friends talking about it. Everyone in my dorm is part of the group anyways. Two of them don't even care if they are here or not. They are just doing it because they think it's funny and they want to impress people. So you can stop believing that every Slytherin is evil."

Lucy was fuming by this point, and she wondered why her cousins were friends with him. Even if he could be trusted, he was very rude. She hadn't had many opportunities to speak to the boy, but she was relieved for it. He was almost as bad as Phillip.

"You don't have to be so rude to me," she said angrily before James who looked angry as well could speak up. "I was only asking. And it's _Lucy."_

"All right, all right," Roxanne said quickly. "Lets not fight or accuse anyone of anything. We are all here to stop people from making the Canadian's feel as if they aren't wanted. We are _not _going to start a war over this either. All we are doing is stopping them from pulling another incident like the one on the wall. What we want to do is step in each time they try something. I doubt we can change their beliefs, but we can at least try to get them to keep their mouths shut about it. The Canadian's will be gone by the end of the year after all. This is supposed to be something fun for everyone."

Lucy glanced at Scorpius who had settled back in his chair with an indifferent look on his face. He noticed her looking at him again, but this time he gave her a small nod before he looked over at James and Fred. The boys had started to talk again about what they could all try to do to stop the HSAC without fighting them.

"Believe me, I like duelling, in fact Professor Fraymen told me I am one of the best he has, but we have to tread carefully," James said. "We also have to be careful about not telling people about this group either. For now, we'll let _Malfoy_ go to a meeting and-"

"It's Scorpius," Lucy interrupted. "We're all supposed to get along here by not being rude to each other."

She knew she sounded about five, but she knew it was the truth. They were trying to stop another group from making people feel unwanted. It didn't make sense if they did it to each other. They had to start by showing they trusted Scorpius. If Albus and Rose did then the rest of them should.

"Yes, him, once he goes to a meeting and gets information, we can have another meeting and start from there," James said. "For now, lets just keep an eye out for any suspicious people. We'll wait until later before we recruit more people."

The meeting went on a while longer before they all started to leave three at a time. James appeared to have their uncles old Marauder's map, because he was staring down at a piece of parchment as he let people out. Sally and Lucy left together talking in low voices about the meeting.

"I really hope Phillip isn't involved in it," Sally said.

"You could ask Scorpius," Lucy said.

Her friend shook her head as they took the short cut down to the fifth floor. Lucy figured they could take the short cut she and Matthew had found as well. It would get them down to the Common Room a lot quicker, and they wouldn't run into anyone.

"I don't trust him, he's a Malfoy. I think he is trying to play your whole family. Your cousins shouldn't be friends with him," she answered.

"I don't think he is. I've heard stories about his house purposely getting him lost, or locked out of the Common Room. Once they even made sure he got detention from Filch. I wonder what he meant when he said that the same thing happened in his dorm last year," Lucy said. "Rose and Albus befriended him on the train and they kept the friendship up though he didn't trust them at first."

"He was just trying to get sympathy. He's a Malfoy, not one of them are any good. I think it's horrible that people are actually going to let him spy," Sally answered. "You just wait. He is going to prove what a snake he is, and we're all going to get caught. I'm kind of worried about going to these meetings now that I know he is going to be at them."

Sally almost reminded her of Phillip at that moment. Lucy didn't want to fight, so she kept her mouth shut. She did know, even though the boy was rude, that her cousins would not be friends with him if he was untrustworthy.

A/N: I'm really not one for leaving to many authors notes or answering reviews, but for this I had to because it was anonymous. I am writing this story because I have wanted to for a while. It's a plot bunny that I've had for a couple of years now. While reviews are nice, I am not writing this for them. If you choose to review fine. If you don't like the story, that's fine as well. Hit the back button. I have three stories I have written on fictionpress and there aren't many reviews on those either. However it has not stopped me from writing them. So flames aren't going to stop me and neither are lack of reviews.

Also, to answer any questions because a friend of mine who has been reading this has asked the same thing. My flamer also said something about it. No I do not have any plans for Matthew and Lucy to date. They are good friends and that is it. I wanted a foursome of friends, two boys and two girls. So far, I have not thought about a relationship for Lucy as she is only eleven. I plan to write more stories from Lucy's point of view when she is older, but I haven't thought about any potential relationships. So no, Matthew isn't in love with her, and in case anyone is wondering neither is Phillip.

Also, I got this idea from the fourth book about the school wanting to keep it's secret. I also got it from the seventh book too. And despite what Mary-Sue writers think, I don't believe someone from another country would be automatically popular at Hogwarts. People tend to write the whole American Muggleborn at Hogwarts being popular and beautiful, and powerful... but I personally think she would be discriminated against. Not only is she from another country, but some of the purebloods won't be impressed with a Muggleborn from another country.

That's what I am trying to show here. There are of course people who are interested in the Canadian's in this story, and they even have people defending them. However, they also have people who do not want them there. I want to show that there are two sides of it.

And as I write this, I am actually getting a plot bunny about the Canadian school. Not sure if I am going to write it though.


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